Photographic-printing frame



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. G. MOORE 8v S. MGLAUGHLIN.

(No Model.)

PHOTOGRAPHIG PRINTING FRAME.

Patented Dee. 22, 1896.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. G. MOORE-8E S. MOLAUGHLIN. PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING FRAME.

No. 573,521. Patented 1390.22, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

ALFRED O. MOORE AND SAMUEL MCLAUGI'ILIN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

PHOTOGRAPHlC-PRINTING FRAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,521, dated December 22, 1896.

A Application filed August 29, 1895. Serial No. 560,93. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that We, ALFRED O. MOORE, a citizen of the United States, and SAnUEL Mo- LAUGHLIN, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, both residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Contact- Printing Frame, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates more particularly to printing-frames for use in photoengraving, in which it is necessary to obtain absolute contact between the negative and the sensitizedmetal plate on which the image is to be printed. A very great pressure is necessary in order to give the perfect Contact which is essential, and great care is required in the ordinary practice of the art with the printing` devices in common use to avoid breaking the negative by uneven pressure upon different parts thereof. In using the ordinary printing devices another difficulty arises in that it is necessary with them to place the sensitizedmetal plate over the negative, and it is impossible to note the position of the negative under such plate. Frequently by the 01d method it would occur that the image Would be printed in a very undesirable position on the plate.

The object of our invention is to overcolne these objections and to provide means whereby an unskilled operator can easily and quickly place the negative and plate in exact position and apply the powerful pressure required evenly throughout the entire image, and thus produce the absolute contact necessary Without any danger of breaking the negative.

Our invention is to be distinguished from those contact-printing frames which are adapted to print a succession of images on a iiexible strip which is moved across the negative for that purpose.

Although our invention is adapted for printing upon sensitized paper and other flexible material, it is specially adapted to afford great facility for adjusting the negative and the sensitized-metal plate With relation to each other for photoengraving.

Our invention differs from all other photographic-printing frames in that its hinged lid is transparent and the transparent plate thereof is arranged to be fastened in the path through which the negative-clamping appliance of the device is adapted to move the negative, so that in practical operation a sensitized plate can be rst laid on the bed therefor, then the transparent negative placed thereon, then the transparent plate brought down upon and clamped onto the negative, and then the sensitized plate and negative can be forced up against the transparent plate. A

An object of our invention is to provide means whereby the bed-plate and the transparent-glass plate will adj ust themselves into parallel positions.

Our invention comprises a contact-printing frame composed of a suitable bed provided with a movable bed-plate adapted to receive the sensitized-metal plate, a movable transparent plate adapted to fit above the bedplate, means for holding the bed and the glass plate relatively stationary, and means for moving the bed-plate toward the glass plate. By this appliance We make it possible to reverse the order of operation and to place the negative upon the sensitized-metal plate instead of placing the plate upon the negative, as With the old-style contact-printing frames. This enables the Workman to see the plate through the negative While placing them, together preparatory to printing.

The means which we have invented for movin g the bed-plate Will be hereinafter fully described; but We regard our invention as embracing, broadly, the combination of the bed, the movable bed-plate mounted on the bed and adapted to receive a sensitized-metal plate and negative and to move them through a determined path, a movable transparent plate adapted and arranged to be fastened in the said path through which the bed-plate is adapted to move the negative, means for fastening the transparent plate in such path, and any suitable means adapted and arranged to move the bed-plate in such path and to push it up sufficiently to force the sensitized plate against the negative and the negative against the transparent plate, and to thus cause perfect contact between the sensitized plate and the negative after the negative has been placed on top of the sensitized plate and IOO the transpiftrent plate has been fastened in place to intercept and hold the negative when the sensitized plate is l'orced up against it.

Our invention also comprises various combinations and parts hereinafter specilied.

Figure il. is a perspective fragmental view o t our n'e wly-in vented contact-printing iframe, a portion being broken away to expose the construction. Fig. 2 is a reduced rear elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the printing-trame along the axis ot' one ot' the wedges. (See line 3 3, Figs. -t and 5.) Fig. ilis a vertical mid-section oit the printingvtrame through the pivots of the glass-plate trame. (See line t `t, Figs. 2, 3, and 5.) A negative and a sensitized-metal plate are shown. Fig. 5 is a fragmental plan with the glass-phtte frame thrown back and the bedplate removed to show the interior ot the bed- 'rame. Fig. (i is a detail of the end of one of the wedges. Fig. 7 is a fragment-al sectional detail illustrating the hinge. Line T T, Fig. 2, indicates the line of section.

A indicates the bed, provided with antitriction cross-bars a tor sustaining the wedges .B l', which are provided to operate the bedplate C, upon which the sensitized-metal plate is to be laid for printing'.

c, e, and c indicate anti'lriction wedgebearing cleats which sustain the bed-plate C. These cleats are l'astened to the under face ot' the bed-plate and rest transversely upon the wedges and increase in thickness in crosssection proportionately to the wedges, so that the bed-plate is held level by the cleats resting upon the wedges.

l) D' are screws which screw through one end ot the bed-frame A and are connectedJ respectively, with the wedges to serve as means to operate the wedges to raise or lower the bedplate l indicates thc plato-glasscarrying or transparency frame7 hinged to the bed-frame at one edge by hinges F, so as to open like a lid. The glass-carrying .trame is pivotcd to the hinges F by a pivot f to allow the glasscarrying trame to tilt transversely to the direction in which it moves on .hinges F, and the opposite edge el:` the glass-carrying l'ranie is provided with a pivot-stud f, which, when the frame is closed, is held by a hasp G. which is provided with a hole g to tit upon the pivotstud, and thus term, with the pivot f olf Vthe hinge, on the opposite edge of the transparency-frame E a pivotal support for the frame E to allow it to tilt endwise on an axis transverse to the axis ot the wedges L l, thus to adjust itself with relation tothe bed-plate, which is raised or lowered by the .movement of the wedges.

f indicates a pivot-plate fastened to one edge of the lrame E to hold the pivot j.

j indicates a hinge-carrying pivot-plate fastened to the hinges F F and connected by the pivot j" with the frame-carrying' pivotplatef", thus to pivot the plate f and the hinges F F together.

It is to be noted that the axis ol' the pivots f f' is approximatelyin the plane el the contact-surface ol` the transl'iarei'lt plate, thus to avoid any swinging movement oit' such surface which might displace the negative and cause slurring of the lllni.

ll ll are antilfriction-plates to receive the `endwise thrust et' the bed-plate when it operated upon by the wedges.

I is a serew-bearing plate tfastened to the end of Athe wedge to receive the thrust ol the screw.

J' indicates a strap providtajl with a iapm`- ing vert-ical slot] and lfastened to the end ol' the wedge.

The thrust end ol the screw is provided with a head d, and the larger end ot' the slot j is large enough to allow the head to pass therethrough, while the smaller end ot' the slot is only large enough to chanibcr the noch between the head and the bodyo'll the screw. This allows the wedge to be easily attached to and detached i'rom the screw and inscrtinl into and withdrawn :trom the frame. The narrow part ot the slot is preferably upperniost, so that in inserting the screwinto place the head d is easily inserted through the lower large end ot' the slot, and when the screw rests upon the cross-bars (t the head d oi the screw will catch against the strap when the screw is retracted and thus draw the wedge to lower the bed-plate.

K lx'. indicate the nuls through which the screws work. lflach nut lf. .is iirmly bol ted. by bolts 7.; tothe end ot the bed-traine and rests against the inside of such trame, so that the` end ol the frame will sustain the thrust ol' the screw.

The bedslrame is made ol strong wood7 such as oak, and is dovctailed at the corners or otherwise constructed sothat it will withstand the thrust el' the screws.

L L indicate leveling-cushions, et' rubber or other suitable material, let into the bed and arranged at the opposite ends ol' the bed at the side to which the trame F. hingct'i. The object olf these cushions is to level the frame lll endwise, so that such iframe will come down parallel with the bed-plate without liability ot' Ytouching the negative unevenly.

L indicates a like cushion at the middle et the front of the bed for the :trent et' the frame ll to rest on when t'ull y lowered.

lVe will now describe the operation ot printing an image on a sensitize ,l metal plate. The bed being in position with the wedges retracted, as indicated in Figs. Il and 5, the plate-glass frame E is thrown back, as ind i cated in Fig. 5, and the sensitized-metal plate M, Fig. Ll, is placed in the bed C in the desired position on the bed-plate E with sensitive side up. Then the negative N is placed in the desired position upon the sensitized plate. The negative can be seen 'through and be accurately adjusted to the best position on the plate. Then the plate-glasscarrying' traine is brought down to clamp the IOO TIO

IBO

sensitive plate and the negative together,

A and as it descends it engages the cushions L L', thus bringing the glass parallel endwise with the bed-plate. When the frame E is fully lowered, it engages cushion L and is held practically parallel with the bed. The hasp G is then clasped upon the pivot f and the frame is then ready for the application of the pressure to produce the desired contact between the plate and negative. This is done by simultaneously or alternately turning` the screws D D to force the wedges under the bed-plate, thus to force such plate up toward the plate glass E. The frame E is held a short distance, say an eighth or a quarter of an inch, more or less, above the bed-frame A bythe pivots ff', so that the frame E'Will tilt endwise without contacting` with the bed. The arrangement of the movable bed-plate and pivoted plate-glass frame and the operating-wec'lges produces a proper parallelism between the bed-plate and the plateglass frame when the wedges are operated.

Vhile we desire to claim the entire combination shown, we wish it to be understood that the bed-plate may be operated by appliances other than wedges and screws without departing from the spirit of our invention.

The object in using the bars a and cleats c, the., is to secure lightness and avoid friction. The bed-plate is made virtually wedge shape by the cleats, thus to maintain the face of the bed-plate at right angles to the path in which it is moved `by the wedges. The wedges are let into the cross-bars a, as indicated in Figs. l, 3, and 4s, so that they are held in true line with their respective screws, so as to be moved thereby without cramping.

One wedge might be used alone, but the two or more wedges serve the purpose better, allowing the force to be applied with greater ease. rllhe top of the bedplate may be covered with any suitable padding, as is common with bed-plates in ordinary use.

Now, having described our invention7 what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the bed, the movable bed-plate mounted on the bed and adapted to receive a sensitized-metal plate and negative and to move them through a determined path;

a movable transparent plate adapted and ar ranged to be fastened in the said path through which the bed-plate is adapted to move the negative; means for fastening the transparent plate in such path; and any suitable means adapted and arranged to move the bed-plate in such path and to push it up sufficiently to force the sensitized plate against the negative, and the negative against the transparent plate, and to thus cause perfect contact between the sensitized plate and the negative after the negative has been placed on top of the sensitized plate and the transparent plate has been fastened in place to intercept and hold the negative when the sensitized plate is forced up against it.

2. The combination of the bed; the plat-eglass frame provided with the glass plate and hinged and pivoted at one edge to one side of the bed and provided on its other edge with a pivot-stud a hasp fastened to the bed and provided with a hole to fit upon the pivotstud; the bed-plate arranged in the bed to move toward and from the glass; and means for forcing the bed-plate toward the glass.

3. The contact-printing frame provided with the bed and with the plateglass frame hinged and pivoted to the bed and provided with the leveling-cushions arranged to contact with the plate-glass frame on opposite sides of the pivot thereof to level the same when it is closed down toward the bed.

i. The combination of the bed; the plateglass frame; the hinges fastened to the bed; the framecarrying pivot-plate fastened to one edge of the frame; the hinge-carrying pivot-plate fastened to the hinges; and the pivot connecting the hinge-carrying pivotplate and the frame-carrying pivot-plate.

5. The contact printing frame set forth comprising the bed; the plateglass frame provided with the glass plate; the frame-carry ing pivot-plate fastened to one edge of the frame; the hinge fastened to the bed; the hinge-carrying pivot-plate fastened to the hinge; the pivot connecting the frame-carry ing pivot-plate with the hinge-carryin g pivotplate the pivot-stud arranged on the opposite side of the frame; the hasp fastened to the bed and arranged to fit the pivot-stud; the bed-plate arranged in the bed to move toward and from the glass; the wedge arranged to move the bed-plate; and means for operating the wedge.

ALFRED C. MOORE. SAMUEL MCLAUGHLIN. Witnesses:

J AMES R. TowNsEND, F. M. TowNsEND.

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